Bombshell
by TurboloverJP
Summary: Who's behind a bank robbery in New Gotham?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Birds of Prey. No copyright infringement is intended.

**BOMBSHELL**

***

I had just cleaned up a fight between two drunks down on the south side of town when Barbara called me on my comm.

:: Huntress? ::

"Go ahead."

:: Just got word of a robbery at the North Street Bank. Police have been dispatched so perhaps... ::

"I know, I know. See what I can get from Reese."

:: Keep in contact. Oracle out. ::

I turned my comm off and rolled my eyes. I'm waiting for the day that she asks me to bark for her since she's always telling me what to do.

Whatever.

I race towards the bank and find the street littered with cops and their flashing lights. Radio transmissions fill the night air and I have to laugh. They sound so official over the radio, as if they know what's going on. In reality, they have no clue. It's quite amusing sometimes.

I spot Reese coming out of the bank, heading over to his car. He's alone so I saunter over to him to see what info he'll offer up.

"Someone wanted a withdrawal after banking hours I take it?"

Reese looked up from his notepad and looked at me. "Something like that."

Okay. I guess it was time to go fishing.

"Amateurs? Pros? What are we talkin'?"

Reese folded up his notepad and tucked it into the pocket inside his jacket. "Not sure."

He was starting to piss me off with his one-word answers.

"Not sure or you won't tell me?"

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his chin. "Look, Huntress I can't give you any information. The last time I did I nearly lost my job."

"Fine," I said as I put my hands up, letting him know I wasn't going to push.

"I'm sorry, I..."

"No. It's okay, I understand." I shrugged and back away from him. "I'll let you get back to work so you don't get fired."

"Huntress, I'm sorry."

I ignored his lame-ass apology and walked away. He didn't try to follow me so that indicated to me that he sincerely had no intention of telling me anything.

When I got around the corner, out of sight from the cops, I scaled the side of an apartment building and perched myself on the roof.

"Oracle, do you copy?"

:: I'm here. What'd you find out? ::

"Absolutely nothing. Reese refused to tell me even the smallest detail."

:: Well, we'll have to find out on our own after they leave. ::

I didn't hear what she had said because I was too pissed about Reese. "I'm so tired of his shit. Doesn't he know that he can trust me by now?"

I slammed my fist into the brick wall beside me and let out a groan of frustration.

:: Huntress, don't take it personal he's only doing his job. ::

Shaking out my sore hand, I bit on my bottom lip. I can't believe she's siding with him.

Wait a minute...yeah, I do believe it.

"I'm gonna hang up here for a while and wait for them to leave then I'll go inside and see what I can find."

:: You want me to send Dinah out? ::

It always amazes me how an intelligent person such as Barbara could ask such stupid questions.

"No. I'll call if I need back up. No sense in sending us both in and tripping an alarm or something."

:: Okay, but be careful. ::

"Aren't I always? Huntress out."

I turned my comm off and took a seat on the ledge of the roof where I could see the reflection of the police lights flashing from the street.

As I sat there, I thought about you-know-who. I couldn't help myself, I have feelings for the guy.

It's hard to say whether he has feelings for me because he's so hot and cold. Sometimes when I'm with him I feel his attraction and other times, like tonight, I feel nothing. I'm not sure how to take that and that's what pisses me off. Love is such a game and I'm not sure I have the patience to play.

***

A good two hours passed and the police FINALLY packed up and left.

I jumped over the rooftops to get to the bank's roof. I was careful to check that no stray cops were left, I didn't want any surprises.

"Oracle?"

:: Go ahead. ::

"The cops just left. I'm on the bank's roof."

:: Okay. There should be an air duct towards the middle of the roof. ::

"I see it."

:: There should be a small hatch to the right of the duct. ::

I looked all around and couldn't see anything. Then I kneeled down and felt around the gravel with my hands. In moving the gravel, I found a small door. "Got it, but it's got a lock on it. It's digital."

:: Already working on it, :: Barbara said as she typed like a madwoman.

Within a few seconds, the lock beeped and clicked.

:: Go ahead. ::

I pulled the small metal ring and opened the hatch and started climbing down the small, narrow ladder.

:: Climb down to the basement level. That's where the main vault is located. ::

I got to the basement and saw a small metal door to my left. I extended my hand towards the latch and opened it up slowly.

:: After you go through the door, take a right and then a left. That's the room before the main vault. I've disabled all of the lasers so you should be able to make it to the room without a problem. Just DON'T go any further until I tell you. ::

"Got it."

I got to the room and was surprised at the size of it considering there was nothing in it. Seemed like a waste of space.

"Why's this room so damn big?"

:: If the laser beams were on you'd be cut to ribbons. This room is a heavy grid of high-powered lasers that alternate their beams, making it almost impossible to get through because it's a random pattern. ::

There was blood on the floor towards one of the doors. Could have been a guard or one of the robbers who bit it.

"How we coming with the main vault?"

:: Almost there. ::

It was pretty scary that Barbara knew all these things about turning alarms off. Good thing she's on MY side.

:: Okay. You've only got two minutes. That's the best I could do. ::

I wasted no time in opening the door to the main vault and was shocked at the sight before me. Barbara must have heard me gasp.

:: What is it? ::

"There's alot of blood in here. Not much money, but lots of blood. On the floor, on the walls." 

Closer inspection of the room made me notice small needles all over the floor near the pools of blood.

"That's weird."

:: What? ::

"There are little needles all over the floor."

:: What?!? ::

"Little needles. Like the ones they use for acupuncture."

:: Son-of-a... ::

"Oracle? You okay?"

:: Take one of the needles for testing and come on back. :: 

Barbara paused for a moment.

:: I think I know who did this. ::

~ to be continued ~ 


	2. Chapter 2

When I got back to the Clocktower, Barbara was waiting by the elevator. The silence on the comm during my trip back to the Clocktower made me think that this must be serious and this only confirmed it by her waiting by the door for me.

I handed the needle to her and she quickly wheeled back to her computer to run tests on it.

"Any chance you're going to tell me what's going on?" I asked as I followed her.

"Let me run this quick scan before I say anything. I want to be sure."

She placed the needle in a small vile and loaded it into some contraption connected to her computer. She rung her hands nervously as she waited for the results. 

This didn't seem very good.

Just watching her made ME nervous so I finally hand to put my hands over hers. "Stop! Please. Tell me what's going on."

The computer beeped and she shifted her focus to the results that presented themselves on her monitor.

She read the lines of text feverishly, mumbling to herself.

Then she put her head down, as if defeated.

I was about to see if she was okay when she slammed her fist down on the table, making me jump.

"Dammit! I knew it. It's her. How can that be?!?"

"Who? What the hell's going on?!?"

"You guys okay?" Dinah asked as she entered the room. "I heard a loud bang."

Barbara wheeled away from the computer she was working on and moved across the lab to another.

"Barbara?" Dinah asked with concern.

"Come on, talk to us, Barbara."

"Her name's Bombshell. She's a thief, a manipulator, a liar and a murderer. And that's only the half of it."

"Wow, that's some resume," I joked. No one was laughing.

Barbara pulled up Bombshell's photo on the computer. Immediately, I thought Betty Page, only blonde. She definitely looked like one of the old pinup girls that guys in the military loved to paste on the side of their planes.

"Bombshell is really Michelle Babson. She's made quite the living out of taking things away from other people...including someone I loved."

There it is. No wonder she was acting strange.

"Barbara, I'm sorry," Dinah said as she put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"His name was Derek McCarthy. He had the biggest, bluest eyes in the whole world. I met him at a charity ball. He was one of the waiters believe it or not." Barbara smiled through her tears at the fond memory.

I was never any good at the mushy stuff so I stayed quiet and just listened.

Barbara wiped her tears away and cleared her throat. "About three months after we'd been seeing each other, we were attending the grand opening of the Willard's Jewelry Store. My father's best friend had opened it after almost a year of protest by the surrounding stores. The neighbors were afraid it would attract criminals....they were right."

"The party was almost over when a bunch of armed, masked men stormed into the store. Some grabbed the jewels while the others pistol-whipped whoever was close by, just for the hell of it."

"Derek saw one of them hit an old woman so he got up and punched the masked man in the face. He continued beating on him and that's when she appeared - Bombshell. She didn't wear a mask or anything that concealed her identity. She just strode into the room, tossed a small bomb in Derek's direction and smiled."

"Oh my God," Dinah said as she covered her mouth.

The tears began to flow down Barbara's cheeks again. "Bombshell ran out of the room and her men took cover just as the bomb went off. The place was so chaotic. All I could do was focus on Derek. He was lying on the floor across the room from where I was, bleeding."

"How many others did she kill?" I asked.

"That's the ironic thing. Only Derek died because he was the closest to the bomb." Barbara paused for a moment as she sniffed her tears away. "He died in my arms."

Like a bolt of lightning, the vision of my mother dying in front of me hit me, even made me feel dizzy.

"She has these bombs that emit hundreds of needles. It's not a large enough bomb that will kill a room full of people, but if you're the target of the bomb and it goes off..well...you know. They go in pretty deep and can puncture vital organs, veins, arteries, whatever they hit."

I sat down on the edge of the desk, unable to find anything to say that would comfort her.

"She was supposed to be dead," Barbara said through a clenched jaw. "There was a fire in the warehouse she and her men were using as a hideout. I was told that they found her body amongst the ashes."

I stood up again, a feeling of renewed energy rushing through me. "Where do you think she'd be hiding out now?"

Barbara was surprised by the question and looked up at me. "I...I'm not sure."

"Well, we've gutta find this bitch and put her six feet under where she belongs." I didn't wait to hear anyone's two cents, I just headed for the elevator. I know this was Barbara's score to settle, but after what she'd said about Derek dying in her arms it felt like my score too.

"Wait, Helena," Barbara yelled at me as she followed behind me and grabbed my wrist, stopping me.

"I'm going out there to look for her."

"You can't go out there alone. She'll kill you."

"I'm not going to give her the chance," I said as I tried to continue walking, but Barbara gripped my wrist tighter.

"You're NOT going out there until I get more information on where she is."

"I can go out there with her," Dinah suggested as she walked over towards us. "Two versus one is..."

"Don't you two get it?!? She's a cold-blooded killer who will strike when you least expect it. She's quick and she's deadly. It's been years since I've seen her. God only knows what other tricks she's got up her sleeve now."

Barbara's eyes shifted back and forth between me and Dinah.

"Please. Give me until tomorrow morning and then we'll form a game plan."

I thought about it and figured we could at least wait until morning. "Okay. You have until 9:00. After that, I'm going out and kicking some ass."

"Fair enough," Barbara agreed.

"I'll go make some coffee," Dinah said with a heavy sigh.

It was going to be a long night.

~ to be continued ~ 


	3. Chapter 3

When I came downstairs I found Barbara asleep at her computer terminal.

It was almost 8:30 and there was no doubt in my mind that she'd been working throughout the night. The number of mugs of coffee sitting next to her on the table confirmed it.

My mere presence woke her with a start.

"Wh...what time is it?" she asked, groggily and confused.

"8:30. You still have a half hour, don't worry."

I walked towards the kitchen in search of breakfast and didn't expect to hear her following me.

"I don't know where she's hiding out but I do know a few details of what she's after next."

I stopped and turned around, very much interested. "Do tell."

"There's some chatter about old paintings that are worth millions as well as old statues and vases."

"The museum?"

"That's what I'm going with. I'm going to monitor the talk that's been going around to see if I can pinpoint a date. In the meantime, take a trip over to the museum today and keep an eye out for anyone that might be casing the joint." Barbara looked at her watch. "Ha. Twenty minutes to spare."

I flashed a slight smile. "Cute."

Barbara smiled back.

"I'm...I'm sorry about Derek. We'll find her and take her down."

Barbara nodded and went back to work. It was clear to me that she didn't want to talk about it and I wasn't going to force her.

***

I took Dinah with me to the museum. I figured it was easy enough and she wouldn't get in the way.

We walked around the museum and kept an eye on people coming and going, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just your average relic-loving geeks who get all hot and bothered from things of the past. Pretty boring if you ask me.

I walked into the weaponry room and suddenly things didn't seem so bad.

"Now THAT'S a work of art," a young man said to me as he walked over towards me. "They don't make pieces like that anymore."

The object of his desire was an ax with knifes on it's edge.

"It is pretty interesting looking," I responded as I turned to look at him. If I had to guess I'd say he was in his early thirties. He was clean-shaven, dressed in a black shirt, black jeans, black boots, and a log black coat. His hair was long but was pulled back in a ponytail and slicked back with gel. I probably would have been turned on if attire were the only factor, but he wasn't very attractive. He had a weird way about him.

"This piece alone is worth at least two villas in the Swiss Alps AND a Lamborghini Murcielago. I'd kill to have this in my collection."

Were these the magic words I'd been waiting to hear? He did seem overly interested in the weapon.

"Yeah. I guess it would look great...hanging on a wall in a living room or something."

He didn't appear to find my comment funny because he wasn't laughing.

"My dear, everything in this room is a piece of history. Although people have set a price tag on them, I feel like they're priceless."

Okay. This guy was giving me the creeps.

I was just about to ask him how much he'd be willing to pay for such an item, but when I turned around he was gone. Was it something I said?

"Hey. You find anything?" Dinah asked as she approached.

I leaned in close to her, so that others around us wouldn't hear me. "I just had a conversation with some guy that said he'd kill to have that ax up there."

"You think he's part of Bombshell's gang?"

"I dunno. Could be. Might not be. I don't think we have enough to go on."

"You get his name?"

"No."

"Oh, good job. Where'd he go?"

I looked around the room and didn't see him anywhere. "I don't know."

"Even better."

"Shut up, kid. I didn't even have to bring you with me, ya know." I stormed out of the room and headed for the exit. I didn't care whether Dinah was in tow or not at this point.

***

For the next few days and nights we made trips to the museum, but our surveillance was done from the adjacent rooftop.

Long about 10:00pm, I noticed the man from the other day enter the museum with two others by his side.

"Oracle, we may have something."

:: What've you got? ::

"The guy from the other day. He just entered the museum with two other guys. The museum closes in a half hour. You think that's suspicious enough to check out?"

:: Hang tight for another ten minutes. ::

Those ten minutes felt like hours and I was beginning to get antsy.

"I dunno, this seems weird," Dinah said, breaking the silence.

"Oracle, we're gonna go check it out." I tapped Dinah's arm and we both headed down to the museum.

:: Keep your lines open. ::

We entered the museum and found only a handful of people lingering around.

Going right for the weapon room, I immediately found the man and his friends ogling at the weapons hung on the walls. 

They were the only ones in the room. How convenient.

We were just about to go into the room when Barbara's panicked voice blasted through our comms.

:: Huntress! Get over to Wayne Manor now! ::

Her words blew through my mind like a hurricane. "Wh...what?"

:: Alfred just set off an emergency signal. I'll meet you over there. Go! Hurry!! ::

~ to be continued ~ 


	4. Chapter 4

I don't think I've ever run so fast in my life.

I didn't even stop to make sure Dinah was keeping up, it didn't matter to me. Right now, someone had invaded my father's home...my home. Normally I don't refer to it as my home, but as I've gotten older I've come to understand things better.

When I arrived at the manor I didn't see Barbara's Hummer anywhere around. I guess I really did run as fast as I could.

I went around to the back and made my way inside through a secret door only Alfred and I knew about. At least he claims that we're the only ones that know, besides my father that is.

I could hear sounds coming from the east end of the house and quickly went in the direction of the noise.

Inside the study, a man was shoving lamps and anything of value into a black duffel bag.

"Excuse you!" I said as I entered the room and charged at him. I jumped up onto the desk and kicked out at his face, knocking him out cold. That was too easy.

I walked down the hall and heard noises in the den. Another man was also filling his bag up with anything he could grab. Valuable or not, he didn't seem to care.

"Uh, uh, uh. That's not yours for the taking, better put it back."

This guy was a little more brazen and at least tried to put up a fight.

He ran at me and swung out his right fist. I ducked and launched a punch of my own, hitting him in the ribs. It stunned him for a moment, long enough for me to grab the back of his head and slam it onto the corner of the table, knocking him out.

This was way too easy.

My next stop was the gallery on the second floor where I knew my father kept some rather pricey paintings.

I dashed up the steps and got to the top only to be greeted with a kick to the chest, knocking me back down.

It stunned me for a moment because I got the wind knocked out of me, but I recovered in time to fight off the man that now held me by the front of my shirt.

I sucked in a breath and head-butted him.

He let go of me and doubled over so I grabbed him by the waistband of his pants and threw him up and over the railing, watching him land on the hardwood floor below - unmoving.

I ran to the gallery and found her standing in the middle of the room, her back to me, admiring all of the pieces on the wall in front of her.

The room was huge. I hadn't been here in so long I'd forgotten how big it was.

"You must be Helena," she said without turning around. "I was wondering if you'd show up."

"No one invited you here so you'd be smart to leave or else..."

"Or else what," she asked as she turned around to look at me. 

"Or else I'm gonna have to kick your bottle-blonde ass."

The bitch had the nerve to laugh in my face. Bad move.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Oh, I don't joke about ass kickin's."

"Yeah, well, neither do I," she said as she quickly moved her hand out towards me.

I saw the thing come flying towards me so I leaped out of the way and slid across the bare, hardwood floor, covering my head with my arms.

The bomb went off and I felt a few twinges of pain. Looking down at my thigh, I saw two little needles.

Reaching down, I ripped them out and tossed them to the floor as I stood up.

"Good job," she said as she clapped.

Just then, Barbara appeared in the doorway.

"Well, well, well. Look who's joined the party," Bombshell commented sarcastically.

"Helena, go. Let me take care of this."

"Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you with this bimbo."

"I said GO!"

Barbara tried her best to pull me towards the door, but I wasn't having it.

"I don't have time for a domestic dispute." Bombshell tossed another bomb, this time towards Barbara. I turned just in time to see it fly through the air. 

Kicking out, I pushed her chair with my foot to get her out of the way.

The bomb landed a few feet in front of me and exploded.

Instinctively, I threw myself to the ground and then I waited for the pain to attack my body.

Oddly enough, I felt nothing.

Looking up, I saw hundreds of needles suspended in the air only a few inches from my body.

I scooted out of the way and the needles continued their flight out through the doorway where Dinah had been standing only a few seconds before.

"And who is this?" Bombshell asked as Dinah reappeared.

"Someone else who's gonna kick your ass," Dinah responded.

Bombshell chuckled as she reached into her pocket, but before she could pull her hand out Barbara tossed a Batarang at her, slicing her arm and causing her to falter backwards.

I moved in and swept her legs out from under her, then pinned her to the ground by wrapping my hand around her neck. "This all ends here." I said as I squeezed.

"Helena!" Barbara yelled from behind me.

I really didn't want to hear the rule book recited to me on how we don't kill people.

I was about to reach into her pocket to see what she was looking for earlier, but I heard a click noise near my waist and stopped.

Bombshell laughed and I launched myself away from her just as another bomb exploded.

This one was more powerful, as it sent me skidding across the floor.

It took me a moment to get my bearings, but when I did I realized Barbara and Dinah were on the floor. Both appeared to be in pain and bleeding.

My own pain was masked by the worry for my friends, and I didn't even notice that I too had been injured. At least ten needles had embedded themselves throughout my body, but I ignored them for now.

"You bitch," I seethed as I set my sight on Bombshell who was standing up again and ready for a fight.

"Bring it on!" she said as she winked at me.

"Oh I'm gonna bring it all over your face." 

I ran towards her and kicked out towards her head, but she was quick and grabbed my ankle, knocking me off balance.

When I hit the floor I swept my leg at her feet but she jumped over it.

I saw her reach inside her jacket and I immediately got to my feet in the ready position.

She held out her hand and showed me this small black disk lying on her palm. "Isn't it cute?" she asked with an annoying squeal in her voice. 

Letting it fly, she tossed it towards me.

The little disk was so quick I never had a chance to see it change or make a move. A cold, steel dagger embedded itself deep in my shoulder.

"Cute and deadly, just the way I like it," she taunted as she reached for another disk.

This time, when she threw it in my direction I was able to avoid it by lunging to my left. I hit the ground hard and not without intense pain.

I looked up as she had just let go of another bomb, but I was surprised to see it reverse directions and land back at her feet. It exploded and I turned away. I heard her body slump to the ground.

Dinah was on her knees and with every ounce of strength she had she had sent the bomb backwards.

"Thanks, kid."

I grunted in pain as I stood up and limped over to where Bombshell was lying, blood pooling all around her.

She was gasping for air probably due to the numerous punctures in her lungs made by the needles. She looked like a bloody pincushion.

Blood dripped out of her mouth with each gasp but she still wore that ridiculous smile.

"That one's for Derek," I whispered to her as I watched her gasp for her last breath.

I turned back around and saw Dinah helping Barbara into her chair.

"You two okay?" I asked, even though it was obvious that they weren't.

"My goodness," Alfred exclaimed as he rushed into the room.

"Where've you been?" I asked as I pulled the needles out of my body.

"A little tied up in the basement. No pun intended." He grabbed my hand in order to stop me from injuring myself further. "Don't touch them and certainly don't touch the one in your shoulder."

"Okay, okay."

Alfred tended to Barbara who had a good amount of needles jammed into her body. Unfortunately, most of them had hit her upper body so she was able to feel them all. 

Dinah got a few of her own. The nastiest of which was one that was stuck in the side of her neck, just missing her Carotid Artery.

We all ended up staying at the manor for a few days while we recovered. It was a little weird being here, but got easier as the days passed.

Barbara wheeled into my room just as I had turned off the TV.

"You look alot better. The blood and the red hair really don't go very well."

"Funny," she said flatly. "I just wanted to say thank you for covering our butts."

Wow. Could this be the first time in history that she didn't lecture me on my aggressiveness?

"You don't have to thank me. You know I'd always be there for you and Dinah."

"Are you okay being here? I know it must be hard for you."

"Nah. It's okay. I've gotten kinda used to it."

"Oh really. Should I tell Alfred that you'll be moving in?"

"Yeah, no."

"I didn't think so."

Our banter lightened things up only for a short time before the awkward silence set in.

"Helena, I know this goes against everything I've ever said or thought before, but...I'm glad she's dead."

I didn't see that one coming.

"Years ago when they told me she was dead and I believed them I didn't feel that way, even though she'd killed Derek. But this time it's different. It's like I was betrayed again and it...it changed the way I feel about her death." Barbara laughed softly. "I'm sorry, that probably sounds stupid."

"No it doesn't. You're entitled to feel angry now and then, Barbara. You don't always have to push vengeance aside."

Barbara nodded. "I know. Let's just keep this between you and me for now. Okay?"

"Okay. How does Dinah feel about the whole thing?"

"She seems to be doing okay. We talked about it for a while this morning and aired some things out. But I think she's going to be fine. We have to do what we have to do."

"I agree."

"Well, get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night."

What Barbara had said to me replayed in my head all night. I guess it was because I had never heard that from her before so my brain wanted to hear it again and again in order to believe it.

~ FIN


End file.
